Her Daughter's Father
by LittleKnux2008
Summary: One night of passion with another wrestler has come back to haunt Lita. Her second daughter isn't Matt's...and no one knows it but her. But when she attempts to bring the truth out, it awakens feelings she thought she'd lost forever.
1. Her Daughter's Father : Prologue

**_Author's Note:  _**_This story will take place from __December 7th, 2010__, to __January 7th, 2011__, unless I decide to change it.  Please review!_

**_Disclaimer:  _**_I don't own anything besides Tara and Jessica.  This story is purely fictional.  _

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_Her Daughter's Father_

_Prologue_

_--__December 7th, 2010__—_

            The pretty redhead smiled at the smaller image of her curled up on the navy, leather couch, clutching the remote dearly.  

            "Tara?" the redhead, Lita, said as she walked forward, kneeling in front of her daughter.  Sleepily, Tara opened her clear, bright blue eyes, mumbling something incoherently under her breath.  "It's time for bed, sweetie.  It's a school night."

            "I'm 8 years old," Tara reminded her proudly, "I should get to stay up past 9!" she pouted, sticking out her lower lip.  Lita smiled.

            "Your sister is already in bed and she's 12."

            "So?  Jessica _always _goes to sleep every night besides Tursday," Tara said.  

            "It's Thursday, honey, and she does it because she wants to see Daddy."

            Tara's eyes widened, "You mean she sees Daddy every Thursday?  Why can't I see him?"

            Lita sighed, gently pushing her daughter's waist-long red hair away from her face as she said slowly, "She only sees Daddy on TV.  She doesn't get to talk to him, sweetie."

            "I want to talk to him," Tara said simply, staring up at Lita with her blue eyes.  Lita smiled, hating the guilty feeling rising up in her throat.

            _'If you really want to see your Daddy, I'll turn on RAW,' _she thought glumly, and immediately shook the thought away.  She had promised that she wouldn't think about it!  

            Lita paused, lost in her thoughts, staring down at Tara.  After a minute, she smiled, her hands reaching out to tickle Tara mercilessly.  Tara let out a squeal, rolling onto the beige carpet.  "MOMMY!" she cried out, standing up and running for her room.  Lita laughed, rushing up to her, and lifting her up.  She carried Tara to her bed, setting her down on her bed with a bounce.  Tara giggled.

            "Goodnight," Lita said, leaning down to kiss Tara on the forehead, "I'll see you in the morning."

            "Night, Mom."  Lita flicked off the lights, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the utter darkness when she heard Tara's soft voice.  "Mom?  When is Daddy coming home?"  Lita winced inwardly at the question.  

            "Soon, sweetie.  Christmas is coming up.  He'll be here."  Tara mumbled something, snuggling deeper into her covers.  Lita stepped out, shutting the door quietly.  She walked toward the couch, flopping down onto it. 

            How long could she keep this lie up?  Lita buried her face into a pillow.  Tara should have a right to know her father, she reprimanded to herself.  But Tara doesn't even know her father!  She thinks its Matt!  Lita felt like screaming into the pillow.  The lie that she had worked so hard to protect was destroying her.  Did she really have a right to keep Tara from her father?  He doesn't even know that Tara was his, for that matter!  Lita flipped onto her back, staring up at the dimmed lights on the ceiling.  He doesn't love me, she reasoned, it was just a one night thing!  In her heart, she knew that it was a lie.  Another lie to help her from the even bigger lie she'd started.  If Tara's father really didn't love – or like – her at all, he wouldn't be one of her good friends, would he?  Lita jumped as the phone rang.  

            She debated leaping up to pick it up, but didn't, knowing that the single phone ringer that she left on wouldn't wake her two daughters.  

            After the fifth ring, the answering machine picked up.  "Hey Lita, it's me, Matt," she cringed, her stomach whirling.  Matt, the man who thought that Tara was his daughter, "I was just calling to tell you that I got two full weeks off this year!  I get off on the 19th.  I'll probably be home on the 20th, and I have to leave again and be in Michigan by the 4th of January.  Can't wait to see my girls!  Tell them that I miss them and I love them!  Ditto goes for you, too," Matt added with a laugh, "I'll see you soon!  Bye!  Love you!" 

            The answering machine beeped, but the redhead's eyes had traveled from the recording machine to the TV, where RAW is War was playing on the screen.  Chris Jericho was out in the ring, yelling about one thing or another and the image was a close up of his face.  

            Lita lowered her eyes, looking away from his face.  She did not want to look at the image.  She didn't want to look, and see her daughter's eyes dancing merrily back at her.  

            _'I have to tell them,' _she realized, _'or I'll go crazy.'  _Lita trailed her gaze to the two wooden doors.  Beyond each was one of her daughters.  Beyond each was a daughter born from a different man.

            Lita wrapped her robe tighter around her, looking at herself in the mirror, imagining that she was still out in the ring, out with her husband.  Usually, she only thought of it for a moment or two, but this time she thought about it, harder and harder…  Tara and Jessica, she thought, are old enough to understand wrestling…  They wouldn't mind being schooled on the road to be with their parents…

            Lita pushed the thought aside.  RAW would be coming to North Carolina next week.  Vince had told her that she was welcome any time she wanted to come…  Lita looked back at the mirror quietly, her eyes dismal.  The lie that she was hiding was tearing her up inside, but once she revealed the truth, would that hurt her worse?

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	2. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 1

**_Her Daughter's Father_**

****

**_Chapter 1_**

****

**_--_****_December 14th, 2010_****_—_**

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            "Wow…" Lita blinked, looking down at Tara as she gaped at the arena, "It's big!" 

            Lita smiled down at Tara, squeezing her hand, "Yes, it is," she agreed.  Her gaze followed alongside Tara's, staring up at the arena that swam in the dark.  Butterflies ravaging her stomach, she tore her eyes form the arena, and over to Jessica, who walked next to Tara, holding her sister's hand as her breath fanned out around her.

            "Lita!" one of the guards said as she approached.  

            Lita bowed her head and smiled, "Hi Jim," she replied.  He asked her how she was, before noticing Jessica and Tara as they walked through the metal detectors.  Lita gathered her purse as Jim talked with Tara.  

            "We have to get going," Lita said, placing a hand on Tara's shoulder.  

            Jim smiled, and nodded, "It was nice seeing you Lita.  Hope it's not the last time," he added, waving to Tara enthusiastically as they left.  Lita looked around the hallways, letting out a breath as she maneuvered her way through the throngs of stagehands.  Nodding at the ones who acknowledged her, she tried to pry her mind away from her impeding talk with Chris.  

            "Guess who?" Lita felt hands cover her eyes, elbows knocking against her shoulders.  The redhead thought for a moment.  It couldn't be Jeff – he'd long since left the business.

            "Chris?" she asked, holding her breath in hope that it wasn't him.  She wanted to put off what she had to tell him as long as possible.  

            "Nope," was the response.

            "Rob?" Lita asked.  She felt the hands drop away from her eyes, and turned to face her long time friend.  She'd gotten to know him somewhat in ECW, and then she'd met up with him again, when she was still on RAW.  

            "Hey," he said.  

            She smiled back at him, "Hi," feeling Tara tugging at her hand, she sighed with a  smile, pushing her forward gently, "This is Tara." 

            Rob kneeled down to her level, holding out his hand to her, "I'm Rob."  Tara nodded, shaking his hand the same way that she'd seen her mother do to other people.  

            "Hi," Jessica spoke up, holding out her hand, "I'm Jessica."  He nodded, shaking her hand.

            "Lita?" the redhead tried to hide the wince that came at the voice.  She gritted her teeth to stop her stomach from rolling.

            "Rob, can you stay with them for a little bit?" she asked, not waiting for his nod to step away from them, walking up to the person who called her, meeting him mid-stride.  He grabbed her around the waist gently, hugging her to him tightly.  They exchanged familiar greetings, and then there was silence.  Lita swallowed the lump rising in her throat.

            "Chris?" he looked back down at her, cocking his eyebrow.  "We…  We need to talk," she told him nervously, looking down at her hands.  

            Chris Jericho looked down at her, concern written over his face as he studied her.  Her face was drawn together tightly, her eyes were downcast and filled with an emotion he hated to see on her face. 

Fear.  

            "Where do you want to talk?" he asked.  

            Lita shifted her weight from foot to foot, "Uh…  How about your locker room?" she suggested quietly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger until it broke.  The redhead avoided his eyes.  She didn't want to see the reminder of Tara in his eyes, nor the concern in them.

            "Okay," he replied, leading her to his locker room.  When they were in the fancy locker room with the door shut firmly, he looked back to her, "Are you okay Li?" he asked, sitting on the coffee table in front of her, his knees brushing against hers.

            She was finally able to meet his eyes.  

            "No."

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	3. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 2

_Her Daughter's Father_

_Chapter 2_

_-__December 14th, 2010___

"No?" Chris blinked, setting his hands on her shoulders and gazing at her intently.  "Lita, sweetheart, what's wrong?"  Lita felt her throat tighten at his words.  Sweetheart…  That was what he had called her…

            Breaking away from her own thoughts, she shivered and looked away from Chris's eyes.  "You remember Tara, right?" she asked nervously.  He nodded slowly.  Her throat was suddenly dry and her voice wasn't working quite right.  Was she right to dump this on him?  What if – What if he didn't want Tara?  What if he did?  "You…you remember…that night…" her eyes were the furthest thing from him as she stuttered.

            Chris nodded, finding it best not to interrupt her.  Already he was feeling uneasy.  Not much could get Lita like this, and now she was mentioning Tara and the night they'd spent together…

            _Oh, God, _he thought as he drew his own conclusions.  He swallowed and looked at Lita's ashen face.  Her chin trembled, and she looked at him.  

            "Tara…isn't Matt's," she said, fighting to stop her arms from trembling.  Saying it out loud was like sealing her fate, "She-Tara-is…yours."

            Chris froze, certain that his jaw had dropped.  Tara was…his?  A lump had formed in his throat as Lita confirmed it.  Blinking, he took a moment to arrange his thoughts.

            Sweet, beautiful Tara was _his._  Heart pounding, he glanced at Lita, and his heart twisted as he saw her face.

            "You hate me, don't you?" she said sadly, quietly, "Because I dumped this on you."  

            Chris opened his eyes wide, all shock of Tara being his daughter gone.  He grabbed Lita into a tight hug, burying his face into her fiery hair, "I don't hate you Lita," he said strongly, pulling back from the hug, "I love you."  She didn't say anything back – she couldn't, and he knew it.  Her nerves buzzed as his face came towards hers.  For a faltering moment, he paused, and then kissed her forehead.  She let out a sigh-of relief or disappointment neither of them knew.  After a moment of silence, Chris finally asked, "Does Matt know?"

            "N-No…" she stammered, looking up as she fiddled with her fingers.  After another moment of silence, she spoke again, "So…uh…What do you think?  I mean about being Tara's father…" she stopped, displeased with her own choice of words.  

            Chris smiled wistfully, "She's a beautiful girl you know Lita.  You did a great job raising her."  He paused, raking a hand through his hair.  This was all too much to digest.  "Lita, where do you plan on going with this?  Are you going to tell her?" he was quiet for a moment, "What do you want me to be to her, Lita?  I can't really just walk right into her life and say that I'm her father…" he tore his gaze from his hands into her eyes and finished quietly, "And I can't just walk away, knowing that I'm her father and have no role in her life, whether it's me as a father or me as one of her mother's friends."

            "I…" Lita sighed, taking a deep breath.  "I don't know what I'm going to do, Chris.  I don't think that Tara is ready to know that you're her…father just yet."

            Chris nodded, and then spoke again, "How about me being Uncle Chris for a while?  Would that work?"

            Lita smiled, closing her eyes.  "This worked out way better than I'd hoped."  

            Chris smiled, standing up as Lita did.    Seeing the look on her face, he added, "I won't talk about it with anyone, Lita, unless you want me to."

            Lita gave him a hug, "Thank you so much Chris," she whispered, setting her chin on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck.  He hugged her back tightly, his arms encircling her hips.  When they broke apart, neither of them bothered to move their arms.  

            Chris leaned forward cautiously, knowing somewhere in the back of his head that he shouldn't be doing what he was about to do-but he didn't pay attention to the nagging voice in his head.  To his surprise (when he thought about it later), Lita rose up on the balls of her feet, tilting her head up.

            The door handle slowly turned just as their lips were about to meet.  They wrenched themselves away from each other, quickly putting space between each other.  

            Tara's head poked around the door, and she slipped inside, passing a smile to Lita and Chris.  Chris stared at her, an odd feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.  She was _his.  He kept repeating that to himself over and over again, but it didn't strike his thoughts until he saw her eyes._

            God, why didn't he see it before?  The clear blue eyes, the high cheekbones…

            "Jesse and Robby and me are playin' Hide n' Go Seek," she said proudly.

            "You shouldn't go into other people's locker rooms," Lita said sternly, bending down to Tara's level.  "You could walk in on someone while they're changing."  Or get hurt, she added to herself mentally.

            Tara pouted for a moment, and then looked up at Chris with puppy dog eyes, "Can I hide in here?"

            He laughed, "Yes, you can hide-"

            "HA!  Found you!" Rob Van Dam cried as he leapt into the locker room.  He froze as Tara turned to look at him.  His eyes traveled from Lita, to Tara, and then to Chris, and back again.  Passing a meaningful look at Lita, he walked over and bent down to Tara's level.  "Let's go find your sis!"  Tara nodded eagerly, grabbing his hand.

            Lita blinked quietly, letting out a breath of air between gritted teeth, feeling the need to leave as the door swung shut, leaving Chris and her alone.

            "Lita-" Chris said finally.  She swallowed, sparing him a quick glance.

            "I have to go," she said hurriedly, grabbing her purse.  "Call me, okay?  I'll be at Matt's."  Looking back as she opened the door, she realized he'd been reaching out to hold her back.  At the mention of Matt's name he froze, an emotion she couldn't describe clouding his face as his hand dropped.

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	4. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 3

_Her Daughter's Father_

_Chapter 3_

_December 15th 2010___

Lita sighed as she gripped the steering wheel of her car tightly, her stomach still doing somersaults from her encounter with Chris.  If Tara hadn't come in-or came in a second later…  

            "Deer," Jessica said from the seat beside her, her brown eyes scanning the dark that spread before them.  The redhead nodded, slowing to a stop in front of the doe.  Frankly, she was glad for the small delay.  

            "So, did Rob end up finding you?" Lita asked, sliding her hands down the leather, listening to Tara's gentle snoring in the backseat.  At the mention of Rob's name, a slight hazy look appeared in Jessica's eyes.

            "Yep," she replied.  Lita smiled to herself, taking in her facial expression.  So…her daughter had a crush on R-V-D?  "What are you smiling about?" Jessica asked, turning to face her mother.

            "Nothing," Lita responded, looking at the doe, startled when she realized that there was a fawn with her.  A small smile crossed her face as the doe nudged the fawn across the street.  

            Jessica tucked some of her black hair behind her ear, and asked, "Where are we going?" with a glance at the clock, which read 1:31 A.M., she looked earnestly at Lita, hope in her eyes, "Are we going to miss school?"

            Lita laughed, pushing her foot on the gas pedal, "Yes, honey.  You can just miss this whole week of school if you really want."  Jessica nodded happily as she yawned.  "Right now we're going to a taping of Smackdown so we can see Daddy and his friends."

            All signs of tiredness vanished from Jessica, "We're going to Smackdown?!" 

            Lita looked over at her oldest daughter with a grin.  "Yep," she confirmed, turning the wheel as they rounded a curve in the winding country roads.

            "There's a Smackdown in Cameron?" Jessica asked, biting her lip.  "I don't think there is…"

            "That's because they're not.  You remember that I was talking to someone on my phone earlier?  Well, that was Vince McMahon.  He reserved seats for us on the 6:55 flight to New York City."

            Jessica let out a squeal, "Oh my gosh!  We're going to Smackdown AND New York City!" she crawled over to give Lita a hug, sputtering out mile-a-minute thank-you's.  After a few minutes, Jessica had curled up in a ball, her head resting against the seat belt as Lita drove, her eyes never leaving the road.   

            Quietly, she formed words in her head on what to tell Matt.  Wincing, she remembered her failed attempt to tell him what had happened when she caught him in bed with Dawn Marie, after he'd suggested that they'd see different people.

            _~Flashback~_

_            Matt fiddled with his hands, avoiding eye contact with Lita.  She stood before him, eyes tinted pink, a calm look on her face, a shadow of pain showing through._

_            "Listen, Lita…  When you walked in on Dawn and I…  It made me realize," he stopped, stepping closer to her and looking into her eyes earnestly.  "It made me realize that I don't love her.  I only love *you*," his hand traced across her cheek, and she felt herself melt, wanting nothing but to fall into his arms and reassuring nothings._

_            Nonetheless, her chin trembled, and she stayed put, images of what she-and Chris-had done the night before.  She shivered.  She'd betrayed Matt!  Lita shook her head.  She hadn't cheated on him-they'd been over when that'd happened.  But still…  "M-Matt…"  Looking into his eyes, she knew she loved him.  Truly and deeply.  What she felt for Matt was no comparison for what she felt for Chris.  Matt…she loved him beyond the world.  Chris…  She didn't know how to describe what she felt for him, but she knew it wasn't half as strong as what she felt for Matt.  "I…I love you too."  Matt stepped forward, wrapping her in his arms, sighing in relief, sputtering a thanks.  As he pulled back, Lita decided to tell him what had happened between Chris and her.  "Matt…  When we…  When we broke up, and I caught you and…her in bed, I –"_

_            He touched a finger to her lips and replaced his finger by his gentle lips.  "It doesn't matter.  What happened happened, and now it's the past."  _

_            Lita smiled queasily, leaning into him, tilting her head up and locking his lips with hers.  The redhead ignored the nagging voice in her head, the one that tried to tell her that she needed to tell him the truth soon._

_            ~End Flashback~_

Lita grimaced at the memory.  She had the chance to tell him then and there, and then this wouldn't be so hard.  The redhead wondered fretfully what he would think of her when she told him that Tara wasn't his, and that it was Chris's.  Blowing the stray strands of hair, she jerked the wheel to make a pit stop at their house, cursing herself for staying so late to cheer on her friends in the back. 

            The shrill ring of her cell phone cut through the silence, and Lita fumbled with it, quickly opening it before it woke either Jessica or Tara.  She glanced at the caller ID, and froze as she held the phone to her ear.

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	5. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 4

**Author's Note:  **Okay, I've been trying to update some of the stories that I haven't updated in a while so, here's another chapter!  If you guys have any preferences to what I update next, just tell me and I'll try!  Anyway, please review!

**Disclaimer:  **1st chapter

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**Her Daughter's Father**

**Chapter 4**

**December 15th, 2010******

            "H-Hunter?" Lita stammered into the device, dread growing in her stomach.  What would HHH want with her?  How did he get her number?  Before she had left the WWE they weren't exactly the best of friends.  Enemies more like.  Nerves nipped at her as she waited for a reply.

            "Hello, Lita," his very voice put her on the edge; the silky tone he used, the way he let the words roll off his tongue…  Everything about this man had intimidated her; from the day they met to today, and she didn't know why.  If she had to pick a ring she'd rather be in-one with Kane or one with HHH-she would pick the one with Kane.  "How are you today, dear?"

            Lita glanced at Jessica, making sure her daughter was sleeping as she snapped, "What do you want?"

            "Testy, are we?" even over the phone, she could see his lips upturning in a smirk.  "I'm just making this call out of courtesy, sweetheart.  You see…  I know about you and Chris."

            Lita's heart pounded in her chest, but she swallowed and pushed it away.  He couldn't possibly know!  "Know about me and Chris?  Me and Chris what exactly?  Hunter, you've got to make more sense because I have no clue what you're talking about."

            "Stop playing dumb, Li," her blood boiled at the use of her nickname that only her friends used for her.  "It really doesn't suit you.  If you believe that I'm bluffing about knowing something, then let me say it for you.  In one word, Tara.  You and Chris slept together.  Tara isn't Matt's.  She's Chris's."

            "You can't prove that," her voice was defensive.

            "Oh, yes I can.  I have the tapes from the hotel that night.  Chris Jericho left your hotel room in the early morning after coming in late at night."

            "You don't seem to remember that that was the night I had walked in on Matt and Dawn…" she didn't elaborate on what exactly the two were doing.  "Chris consoled me.  He's a great friend, and nothing more, all right?"

            "Nothing more than a one-night-stand to you," he sneered.  Lita winced at the harshness of his words.  _'No…  It's not true.'  _"The hotel tape is only part of my evidence, dearest.  I got all of the files on your pregnancy and looked at the times.  You and Matt got together 3 weeks after the 'incident' as you two seem to refer to it now.  I asked a doctor about the time when you would've had to hit the sack with a guy.  He pinpointed it to within a week—the week included the day when you and Chris were together.  Dr. Raja was certain that it was in that week.  It couldn't have been 2 weeks off.  So, even if there is the most remote possibility that it isn't Chris's…  It certainly isn't Matt's."

            Lita clutched the phone, and snarled, "Her name is Tara, not it.  Believe what you want to believe about how she was conceived, but I don't give a damn about what you think Hunter."  

            HHH simply laughed in response.  "You will, Lita…You will…"  Lita slammed her thumb down on the 'End' button, and set her phone in the cup holder.  

            She was still on edge when they entered the airport.  What had Hunter meant, on her caring about what he thought about the situation?  Lita shivered, rubbing her arms.  

            Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

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**Author's Note:  **Sorry it was so short!  I'm kind of getting in the flow of this story again, so hopefully another chapter will be up soon!  Please review!


	6. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 5

**Her Father's Daughter**

** Chapter 5: ****December 15th, 2010******

Lita held her daughters' hands as they walked down the streets of New York City, heading toward Madison Square Garden. She tried not to think about what conversation awaited her at the Garden. After the flight into the JFK Airport, the three had checked into the Hilton hotel on 6th and 50th, and crashed for a nap until they needed to leave.

"Are you guys ready to see daddy?" the redhead asked her daughters, and they both nodded eagerly. Lita smiled, but it was pained and forced. _'What if Matt hates me for this? What if…' her_ thoughts trailed off. She would just have to wait and see.

Lita was in a haze as they passed through security and went backstage. Familiar faces passed by her in a blur. Too wrapped up in her predicament, she didn't wave or acknowledge them. Worry ate at her in large bites, and the speech she had delicately formed in her head dissolved. Maybe she should turn back now. Turn back, and save what was between she and Matt…

"DADDY!" the large squeal from her two daughters shattered her thoughts. They twisted out of her grip and nearly sprinted down the hallway, leaping into Matt Hardy's open arms.

"Hey, how are my girls today?" he asked, hugging them tightly as they rambled on about their day, their words overlapping each other. As they did so, Matt's brown eyes met Lita's.

His look was less than welcoming. The redhead froze, and swallowed. What was going on? Why did Matt have that look on his face?

Matt turned to the two girls, and with a forced smile, said, "Why don't you two go to Edge's locker room? Mommy and I need to have a talk," his words were hard and sharp. Tara and Jessica nodded obediently, running in the direction Matt had showed.

"Get in," he ordered to Lita, pushing his locker room door open. Having a feeling that this conversation was not going to turn out well, she obeyed him quickly. He slammed the door shut, his lips curled in a snarl.

"Matt, I need—" she hoped to delve into the Tara situation before her nerves got the best of her, but Matt cut her off.

"I don't give a damn what you need," he hissed, standing up next to her. Instinctively, she took a step backward. The backs of her knees hit the chair and she reflexively sat. She felt small under the intensity of Matt's glare.

"You little whore," his voice was low and angry. Lita narrowed her eyes at the insult. "When did you think you were going to tell me, huh?! You know what I'm talking about! When were you planning on telling me that you fucked your best friend on the side of our relationship?" he snapped.

_Oh, shit. _Lita winced, and shrunk back into the back of the chair. How did he find out? No one knew except Chris… Realization suddenly flashed in her eyes. **Hunter.** Anger bubbled to the surface, but looking up at Matt she saw that this was not the time or place to talk about that.

"What do you mean?" she responded to Matt with what she thought was the safest answer.

"That Tara is not my kid. That you fucked Chris Jericho and had his goddamned baby. That—"

"I didn't know for sure that it was Chris's baby," Lita hissed suddenly, interrupting him. Feeling a need to protect Tara, she added, in a warning voice, "And don't you ever, _ever _use that language about my daughter like that."

Matt slammed his hands down on the armrests of the chair, and leaned down so that his face was close to Lita's. She swallowed tightly, feeling threatened. Almost immediately she reflected that it was ridiculous that she felt threatened by Matt, the love of her life.

But looking at him now, she realized something.

That notion was anything _but _ridiculous.

Matt Hardy looked ready to kill.

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**Author's Note: **Sorry for the lack of updates, but I hope you enjoyed this one! Please review!


	7. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 6

**Her Father's Daughter**

**December 15th, 2010******

            "Matt, listen to me…  Just calm down for two seconds and I'll explain," Lita tried to reason with him.

            "You better have a good fucking reason!" Matt hissed in response.  "I can't believe you cheated on me…" he muttered beneath his breath.

            "I didn't," the urge to protect her reputation flared up.  "I didn't cheat on you."

            Matt grabbed the collar of her shirt.  "You're a liar.  First you lie to me about Tara, and now you're lying again."

            Lita tore his hand away from her.  "Don't touch me like that again, Matthew," she said, her voice warning.  The redhead stood, making it so they were both on equal ground.  "You want an explanation?  Fine," she tossed her hair over her shoulder.  "It was late at night.  I was supposed to be at Trish's hotel room having a movie marathon with her and a couple others, but I forgot something in our hotel room."

            "Lita, that's old news now," Matt interrupted.

            She continued on with the storytelling, completely ignoring him.  "So I used our keycard in the door and tried to sneak in…" her words began to meld into memory.

            _Lita__ sighed to herself as she turned the door knob of her hotel room.  She was giddy.  Tonight was going to be so fun!  Finally she and the girls were going to be able to just have fun without worrying about anything.  Jessica was at her grandparents' house, the flight for __California__ didn't leave for two more days…  The redhead pushed the door open quietly, for fear that she would wake up Matt.  She stepped into the hotel room.  The bathroom was to her left as she walked in, the beds ahead of that.  Light spilled beneath the door, and she heard the shower running.  Shrugging, Lita grabbed her duffel bag that was sitting near the door.  Her eyes caught something near the bed.  Rolling her eyes at her own curiosity, the woman walked forward.  It was a pile of Matt's clothes next to an unmade bed.  A small smile placed itself on her face.  Matt was never the cleanest guy around.  She turned to go when something else caught her eye near the nightstand.  She froze, taking a tentative step forward.  Women's clothing.  While her mind immediately jumped to conclusions, she tried to reason.  Maybe the laundry got mixed up…  Maybe keycards got mixed up…  _

_            All the maybes stopped when the water from the shower did.  Her eyes snapped to the door to the bathroom.  Then, the sound of giggling reached her ears—female giggling.  The hairs on her neck stood up.  The door to the bathroom opened.  She was greeted with a close-up image of Matt, her boyfriend, with his lips locked around Dawn Marie's.  Lita took a step backward, her heart pounding in her chest.  'NO!' her heart recoiled.  This wasn't real…it couldn't be…_

_            Dawn was the first one to see her as they broke away from their kiss.  She stared at Lita as if the woman didn't belong.  Then, a small smirk traveled across her face.  Matt followed her gaze and froze.  He glanced to Dawn, only clad in a towel, and back at Lita.  "Li…This isn't what you think!" he cried.   _

_            Her mouth opened but no words came out.  She closed her eyes, and then opened them again.  It wasn't just a dream.  The redhead barreled through the two, knocking Dawn in the stomach harshly with her duffel bag.  Lita exited the room and ran down the hallway.  She was barely aware of the tears running down her face.  Her mouth was dry as sandpaper._

_            "LI!  LITA!" Matt's voice carried down the hallway.  The redhead turned and looked at him.  The look on her face silence him for a second.  She turned to the elevator, slamming a button down.  She silently prayed for a quick one.  "Li…  Please believe me… I was drunk…I…"_

_            "You were drunk," Lita repeated, pressing the button again._

_            Matt slumped.  "I made a mistake Lita…"_

_            The elevator down a ways hit the floor.  Lita turned to Matt.  "No shit, Sherlock."  Then she ran.  He, however, was close on her heels.  He spoke to her during the ride down a floor, but she stubbornly ignored him, biting her trembling lip.  As soon as the doors opened, she sprinted out and turned.  He was still in the elevator.  Her eyes were piercing.  "I swear to God, Matt, if you follow me…" _

_            The elevator doors slid shut.  _

_            Lita turned and ran blindly, no longer aiming to get into Trish's room.  She ran until her legs gave out.  The redhead sunk to the ground, sobbing for all she was worth.  _

            "So what?  You fucked Chris Jericho as retribution or something?" Matt snapped back, and Lita looked at him, her upper lip curling. 

            "Sorry Matt, I'm not the type of person to go around sleeping with random people while I have a partner.  Even if that partner is a pompous asshole."  For a moment, he tensed, his fists curling. 

            "I want an explanation."

            "It took you five weeks to come back to me."

            "Like you expected it and I was late, that's how you're saying it.  Let me tell you this, Lita, you are a –"

            "No!" she cut him off, her anger bursting.  "Let me tell **you **something, Matthew Moore Hardy!  During those five weeks, Chris Jericho helped me through everything.  He was my shoulder to cry on.  He was the guy that was constantly making me smile and laugh," her face twisted.  "Near the end we started having a relationship of sorts.  Yes, I slept with him.  But right now, I don't think I regret it.  Right after we did, you came along with your dumb-ass apology, and for some ungodly reason, I took you back."

            "I want my daughter back," Matt hissed suddenly.

            "Excuse me?"

            "You heard me.  I want custody of my daughter," his look was full of malice.  "And as of this moment, we are over."

            Terror told a hold of Lita.  He wanted to take Jessica away.  "I suggest you think this over…You're pissed off.  You're not in your right mind…" her voice wavered.

            "Maybe I am…" Matt replied.  He walked to the door and opened it.  "Get out of here."   Anger and fear taking a hold of her, the redhead walked out of his locker room with her head held high.  "Oh, Lita?" Matt called, a sing-song tone to his voice.  "See you in court."

            The door slammed.


	8. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 7

**Her Father's Daughter**

**December 17th, 2010******

            He was serious.  The paper fell from her hands and onto the kitchen counter of her home-the home she shared with Matt.  Her hands shook, and she raised them to her mouth.  A sense of desperation took over her, and her heart pounded frantically against her chest.  Taking a breath, she held the paper and reread it.  Nothing had changed.  Her eyes scanned it once more.

            _Lita__, _

_            I'm sending you this as a courtesy.  I'm currently writing this on Wednesday, the 16th.  I will be at consecutive house shows for the next couple days.  I will be home on Sunday the 20th.  You can stay at the house until that day.  When I come home I don't want you there.  We can decide who keeps the furniture and whatever later.   There is a preliminary court hearing on the 21st at 3:30 p.m.  It is to decide who Jessica will remain with during the trial.  I suggest you get yourself a good lawyer, but even that won't help you.  Face it Li, you're going to lose this thing.  It would be less of a strain to Jessica if you just gave it up.  Call my lawyer and give him a number you can be reached at._

_                        -M. Hardy_

            Lita slammed the paper onto the table, her eyes burning with unshed tears.  _'I can't believe him!  He's going to fight me for custody of Jess…' _Her hand crushed into a fist, crumpling the paper.  Indignation faded quickly into anxiety.  Three days to pack up all of her clothes and leave.  How was she going to explain this to Jessica?  To Tara?  A sob ripped from her throat, and she bit down on her lip to stop anymore from escaping, but it was a losing battle from the start.

            A sense of helplessness suddenly claimed her.  _'What if…  What if he gets Jessica?' _the thought occurred to her, and she couldn't hold back the tears anymore.  They filled her eyes and trickled down her face.  Her breaths were jagged, her nose becoming runny.  Lita pressed a hand to her mouth as another sob racked her body.  _'How can he do this to me?  I didn't cheat on him!  He has no right to try and take Jessica away!  I know I screwed up, not telling him that __Tara__ wasn't his, but I didn't want to ruin our relationship…'_ her thoughts trailed off into another round of sobs.

            _'How am I going to do this?' _she asked herself minutes later, a tissue clutched tight in her hand.  _'I know I'll eventually have to tell everyone about __Tara__, but I don't exactly want to broadcast this out to everyone,' _she set her head on her arms.  _'I don't know what I need to do…  Sure, I need a lawyer, but how…  I can't even bring myself to think about the court,' _she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.  She looked around the house, and felt another chill curl around her.  She had to move everything of hers out in two days.  The redhead felt another salty tear travel down her face.  She felt like she was violating Matt's space in the house now.  48 hours in the house seemed too short to recollect all of the wonderful memories, and too long to spend in a house that wasn't hers anymore.

            _'Where are we going to go?' _Lita asked herself suddenly.  She had dropped everything for the marriage, including her own property.  If she moved back with her parents, there would only be thousands and thousands of questions.  Nearly all of her friends were with the WWE, and if she was honest, none of them were truly good at keeping secrets-and as much as she berated herself for it, she couldn't bring herself to trust any of them with this.

            Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she didn't stop to consider it.  She needed someone here with her, and at the moment he seemed to be the best prospect.  Perhaps she would regret it later, but she grasped the phone and dialed a number that she was surprised she still knew.

            "Hello?" his voice was laid-back and calm.

            "C-Chris?" she asked, her voice wavering.

            "Yeah…" he replied, and she could tell he knew her voice, but couldn't place it.  The redhead opened her mouth, only to have a sob come out.  Against her own will, she burst into tears.

            "It's me, Lita…  I don't know what to do, Chris," her voice bordered on panic.  "I told Matt, and now he wants custody of Jessica!"

            There was a long pause on the other end of the phone.  "Are you at his house?" Chris asked finally.

            "Yes…" she answered shakily.

            "Hang tight.  I'll be there in five," the dial tone sounded in her hear.  Lita hung up the phone and placed it on the counter slowly.  She tried to think about the letter rationally.

            A few seconds later, she buried her face in her arms and cried for all she was worth.

                        -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note: **Yes, finally an update!  I hope you guys liked!  Please review!


	9. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 8

**Her Father's Daughter**

**December 17th, 2010**

Chris Jericho hurried from his car as soon as he got to the house that Lita and Matt shared together. He was near positive that his driving on the way here hadn't won him any friends, but he didn't care. Lita had sounded ready to break down on the phone, and he was worried about her. _"...now he wants custody of Jessica!" _Lita's words flashed through his mind as he jogged up the sidewalk to the front door. _'That son of a bitch,' _he thought, grinding his teeth. Matt didn't deserve Lita; he never did. Chris pushed the unkind words for Matt out of his head momentarily as he rung the doorbell. There was a rustling inside, and then the door opened. Chris took one look at the redhead, and mentally cursed Matt for his idiocy. The redhead's eyes were bloodshot, her face wet. It was obvious that she had been crying. Chris hugged her tight to her, trying to find the words to comfort her.

She hugged him back tightly, fighting the tears coming to her eyes again. Waiting for him to come, Lita had begun to think calling Chris was a mistake. She had, after all, just dropped a bombshell of a secret on him, without telling him what she planned to do. Her life was falling apart, and she didn't know where Chris _or _Matt fit in at the moment. Now, in Chris's arms, she knew she had made the right choice. Father of her baby or not, Chris was her friend, and he would always look after her. "I'm sorry I got you into this," Lita murmured as she pulled away from him, her tone guilty.

"It's not your fault, Lita," he told her firmly.

"I should've been more responsible... I should've _known _that my period was coming up in a few days. I should've waited for Matt... We already had Jessica, and she was only five... Of course Matt and I would get back together, it was just a matter of time," she trailed off.

Chris cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Listen to me Lita. Besides the fact that hindsight is always 20/20, I want to tell you something. You and I both knew what we were doing that night, Lita," he spoke his words calmly. "If we hadn't done what we did, Tara wouldn't be here right now."

"But neither would all of this mess," Lita whispered. "Matt wanting to take Jessica from me..." she trailed off.

"Matt is a full-fledged asshole," Chris said, venom in his voice. He toned it down immediately. "What I'm saying is... If it wasn't about Tara, it would be about something else. That man is always finding trouble with you."

"It's _my _fault he wants to take Jess away," she whispered, ducking her head away from his grasp. "If I hadn't..." she trailed off.

"Lita, you had every right to sleep with someone else. You two were having problems. He was sleeping with Dawn Marie or whoever!" he saw her flinch, but continued. "Listen to me, Lita. Matt Hardy has no reason to do this whatsoever, and he's not going to get away with this. I know you think it all has to do with the night we slept together, and I know you're regretting it, but Li... If I had the chance to go back in time, I wouldn't."

"Why not?" Lita whispered, finally meeting his eyes. Chris clenched his jaw, wondering how to possibly say this. He knew now was the time to put everything on the table, but part of him urged against it, insisting that it would just put more strain on the stressed redhead. Nonetheless, Chris took a breath, and then spoke.

"Because I think that Tara's involvement in your life is worth a lot more than you and Matt staying together for a little longer—you and I both know your relationship wasn't going to last that long," he hesitated, biting his lip.

"There's more," Lita whispered, sensing immediately that he was holding back.

"Yeah, there is," Chris said, and paused. He took a deep breath, and took Lita's hands in his. "I would never take back that night, Lita...because I love you."

* * *

**Author's Note: -**drops head in shame- I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated the story, and sorry it's so short! I hope you guys liked it though! Please, please review!


	10. Her Daughter's Father : Chapter 9

**Her Father's Daughter**

**December 17th, 2010**

Lita froze, her eyes locking onto his, but she didn't pull back. Chris stared straight back at her, waiting for her answer. "I..." she looked away, unable to speak. "I don't know what to say," she whispered, looking back at him, her eyes wide.

"Don't say anything," he replied, leaning closer. He knew it was a mistake, but it was almost as if he was watching himself outside of his body. Chris kissed her gently on the lips, his hand on the back of her head.

To his total surprise, she kissed him back, her hand sliding to his cheek.

They both jerked apart as a key scraped against the doorknob of the front door. Lita stood immediately, smoothing out her jeans as she walked toward the door, opening it for Jessica and Tara, the thirteen year old holding her sister's hand. The redhead bent down, hugging them both tightly. It was a daily routine—Jessica got off the bus stop, baby-sat at a neighbor's for an hour, picked her sister up from her bus stop, and walked home.

"Hey," Chris Jericho greeted them, standing up from his chair. Tara squealed and ran toward him. He knelt down, and she hugged him tightly. As he wrapped his arms around her, Lita looked at him. Something in his eyes has changed, she thought to herself.

"Hi, Chris," Jessica said simply to her, giving a smile at the closeness between the two. Chris looked at her, a playful smile on his face.

"What's the matter, Jessie? Too grown-up for a hug?" Jessica made a show of rolling her eyes, but ran over and hugged him tightly anyway, laughing.

As Lita looked at them, Chris listening as they excitedly told him about their days, all of them amused, she was suddenly struck by the feeling that maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.

Lita let out a long breath, pursing her lips tightly, nerves bouncing. From the downstairs, she could hear Tara excitedly talking to Chris, and the smell of a cooking dinner wafting through over his deep laugh. The redhead tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and knocked softly on the door ahead of her.

"C'mon in, Mom," Jessica told her, and Lita did so, smiling at the black-haired teenager before her. She shut the door softly, simply studying her firstborn for a moment. She was laying sprawled out stomach-down on her bed, a small book that Lita knew to be her diary open before her. Jessica was wearing a denim mini-skirt and a tank top, and suddenly Lita remembered the days when Jessica was little, and the redhead had shopped for her.

Lita laid down next to Jessica on the bed as her daughter closed her diary, shoving it to the corner of the bed. For a minute, they simply laid side by side, looking at the small blackened television before them. "So," Jessica said, looking over at her mother.

The redhead plucked at the Barbie-pink comforter and sheets beneath them, and looked around the room. Boring wallpaper colored the walls, too much work to strip. "Do you want to change your bedroom?" Lita asked finally, and smiled softly at the happiness sparked in Jessica's brown, amber-splashed eyes.

"Oh my god, are you serious?" she squealed, and hugged her mother the best she could. "I've been wanting to **forever**!" she exaggerated. Her grin was wide. "When do I start?" Lita didn't reply, instead looking down at her hands. Jessica's grin slowly faded. "Mom..." she whispered, and Lita didn't respond. Finally, she tried again. "What's the bad side?"

Lita sighed heavily, swallowing tightly. She held her daughter's hand, intertwining her fingers with Jessica's. "I wish this wasn't going to happen," she whispered, trying desperately to keep the tears out of her eyes. "Matt and I..." she took a breath, "we're having some major problems." Jessica's grip on her hand tightened.

"Mom..." she started, and then shook her head. "What is wrong? Why is Daddy mad at you?" she asked. Something told her it wasn't vice versa; that Lita wasn't the one would was mad at him.

Lita looked at Jessica. "When we were dating, we had a huge problem, Jess," she looked at her hands. "I want you to know the whole truth, and you're old enough now to understand it." Jessica nodded firmly, her expression serious. Lita sighed heavily before beginning. "Matt and I were dating...and one night I caught him...in bed with another woman." Jessica froze, her muscles tightening. She knew exactly what her mother meant by _in bed. _ "I immediately broke things off. I was so hurt," she exhaled, closing her eyes. No. She wouldn't cry. She'd shed enough tears for Matthew Hardy. "Chris helped me through it all; he was a really great friend. Time passed, and I got over Matt. I started to go back on the dating scene, and, well... Things between Chris and I just escalated..." she trailed off. "I slept with him. It sounds so uncommitted now, but both of us, I think, were both looking forward to a great relationship."

"That was when I was seven, and Gram and Gramps took me for that month-long vacation in Europe," Jessica spoke suddenly, her memory sparking.

Lita smiled sadly. "Yeah. Matt came to me a while after that, and we got back together," she wiped a forming tear from her face. "I guess, I just wanted what we had," she frowned. "Now that I realize how much I must have hurt Chris..." she trailed off and shook her head. "What Matt and I have—had...was great," she squeezed Jessica's hand. "Then I realized I was pregnant with Tara. I didn't want to ruin what Matt and I had re-started, so I told him it was his. I knew that it was Chris's, in my heart, but I knew telling either of them would mean ruining Matt and I. So I didn't," Lita looked down. "Now I wish I had told them from the start, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say," she sighed. "You know, guilt's been eating at me for years. I finally told Chris, and I was on my way to tell Matt, when this man called. He knew about what had happened, and told Matt before I could get there. Matt blew up at me, and now," Lita's eyes were brimming with tears, "He's divorcing me and going to try and take custody of you." Jessica paled, and looked away, completely silent for a moment. Then, nearly spontaneously, she reached over and hugged her mother tightly. "I'm so sorry," Lita mumbled tearfully.

With a maturity that surprised her, Jessica looked at her in the eyes. "We'll get through it, Mom, I promise." She set her jaw in a line of determination that Lita knew could only be from her genes.

Lita looked at Jessica, and squeezed her hand again. It was clear Jessica had her questions, but the redhead knew that she needed to be alone. Lita bit her lip as she walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly, listening to the resumed scratching of pen against paper as she did so. Her shoulders sagged with relief, but she knew the relief was only temporary.

Soon, she would start the fight of her life: the fight for custody of her firstborn child.


End file.
